Weighing-scale.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

U. SUNDBY.

WEIGHING SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. s. 1905.

Quinn/tea C. 521174554 "6 v I 1 awe cue i i Moses 1H: NORRIS PETERS cm, \vAsmmsmn. n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT onrrcn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed November 9, 1905. Serial No. 286,549.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN SUNDBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St; Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weighing-Scales and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic cut-off mechanisms for weighingscales, and more particularly to the one set forth in Letters Patent No. 7 90,231, issued to me on May 16,1905.

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of mechanisms of this character, and thereby render the same more eflicient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this character with a simple and efficient regulator which may be readily adjusted to permit the mechanismto more accurately weigh any predetermined quantity.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through my improved automatic cut-off mechanism for weighing-scales. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical transverse sectional views taken, respectively, on the planes indicated by the lines 2 2 and 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustable regulator, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the removable bottom or section of the discharge-spout.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a support or frame consisting of a horizontal base portion 2 and a vertical portion 3, upon which latter is mounted a hopper 4. This hopper has projecting from its funnel-shaped bottom a tortuous or zigzag discharge-spout 5, which, as shown, is of substantially right-angular form and has its lowermost portion 6 arranged so as to discharge the material passing therethrough into a suitable receptacle placed upon one pan of a pair of scales 7. The latter may be of any desired form; but, as shown, it comprises a pivoted beam 8, which has at one end a Weight-receiving pan 9 and at its opposite end an article-receiving pan 10. The lower portion 6 of the discharge-spout is of cylindrical form and has at its outer end a rectangular portion 6 The cylindrical part of the portion 6 is preferably formed in two partsan upper part or section 6 which is integral with the end 6 and the upper portion of the spout 5, and a removable section or bottom 6. The latter is substantially semicylindrical in shape and is removably mounted upon the section or to 6 This mounting is preferably effected by having the projecting end 6 of the bottom or section 6 enter the rectangular portion 6 and by providing upon the upper closed end 6 of said bottom a spring-catch 6 which is adapted to engage a keeper 6 provided upon the upperportion of the spout, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In the upper portion of the spout 5 I also preferably provide a cut-off valve 5 which is here shown in the form of a slide, but which may be of any suitable form and construction.

Adjacent to the end 6 of the dischargespout is mounted a reciprocating cut-off valve 1 1. The latter is in the form of a plate mounted to slide in a guide 12, fixed in said end of the discharge-spout, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Said valve when moved to its closed position is adapted to have its lower edge engage a pad 13, provided upon the bottom of the portion 6 of the spout and here shown in the form of a brush. Said valve is actuated by a lever 14, which is pivoted intermediate its ends upon a bracket 15, provided upon the top of the spout and has its lower end loosely connected, as at 16, to the top of said valve. The opposite end 17 of said lever coacts with a detent 18, which is pivoted at 19 upon the top of the spout and forms the armature of an electromagnet 20, which latter is also secured upon the top of the spout, as shown. coiled spring 21 has one of its ends connected to the end 17 of the lever and its opposite end to the bottom of the hopper 4, so that it exerts its energy to hold the valve 11 normally in its closed position. The said valve is adapted to be supported in its open position by the engagement of the detent 18 with the end 17 of the lever, as shown in the drawings. When the detent is in this position, it is spaced from the poles of the electromagnet 20, so that when the latter is energized said detent will be attracted and the lever will be released to permit its coiled spring to actuate it and close the valve 11. The electromagnet 20 is included in an electric circuit 22,in

g saasss which is also included a battery 23 and two contact-points 24 25. One of said contactpoints is provided upon the base of the scales 7 and the other upon the beam 8, and it is so arranged that it will engage the contact 25 when the pan 10 of the scales is lowered. The battery or cell 23 may be of any suitable form and preferably placed in a boX 26, provided upon the base 2.

In order to regulate the discharge of the material to be weighed through the spout 5, I provide in the portion 6 of the latter between its two members or sections 6 and 6 an adjustable regulator 27. The latter is of substantially conical form and is mounted to slide longitudinally in the portion 6 of the spout, so that it may be adjusted toward and from the valve 11. This mounting of the regulator is preferably effected by providing at its rear or larger end an annular flange 28 to frictionally engage the inner faces of the two sections 6' 6 of the spout and by providing upon said flange 28 a projecting tongue or finger 29, which is adapted to eX- tend between the overlapping edges of the sections 6 and 6 at one side of the spout. It will be seen that by releasing the springcatch 6 from its keeper 6 the bottom section 6 may be lowered to its dotted-line po- 30 sition shown in Fig. 1, so that the regulator may be adjusted longitudinally in the portion 6 of the spout. After it has been properly adjusted the bottom section 6 is secured in its closed position, so that the regulator will 3 5 be frictionally retained between thetwo sections of the spout, as will be readily understood. The regulators may be made with different-sized openings in their small forward ends 30, according to the character of the material which is to be weighed, so that the passage of the material through the spout will be properly restricted.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: The hopper 4 is filled with the material to be weighed, and a suitable receptacle is placed upon the scale-pan 10, while a weight of the proper size is placed upon the pan 9. The valve 11 is then opened and retained in its open position by engaging the end 17 of the lever with the detent 18. When this is done, the material is permitted to discharge from the spout and fall into the receptacle upon the scale-pan 10. The regulator 27 restricts the passage of the material through the spout and causes it to fall in a small stream. As soon as the scale-beam 8 is overbalanoed and the contact-points 24 25 come together and close the electric circuit 22 the magnet 20 will be energized and will attract 6o the detent 18 toward it so as to release the lever 14. The coiled spring 21 will then operate the latter and force the valve downwardly to its closed position to out off the discharge of the material. The filled receptacle 6 5 upon the scale-pan 10 is then removed and an empty one substituted for it. In the mean time the continued discharge of the material through the regulator fills up the space between the latter and the valve 11, so that as soon as the valve is again opened the material accumulated in advance of the regulator will rush out of the discharge-pipe and into the receptacle. The discharge of the material will then be restricted, owing to the limited size of the opening in the regulator, so

that the discharge of material from the spout will be quickly stopped as soon as the electric circuit is completed, as previously described. By adjusting the regulator longitudinally in the spout the amount of material collected between it and the valve may be varied according to the size of the receptacle placed upon the scale-pan 10, or according to the character of the material being weighed. By constructing and mounting the regulator in this manner the apparatus is particularly useful in weighing large quantities of goods to be put up into packages, since the package or receptacle placed upon the scale-pan will be almost filled as soon as the valve is opened, and the stream or flow of the material from the spout will then be very limited until the prop er amount has been discharged. This construction renders the mechanism exceedingly accurate and reliable.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic cut-off for weighingscales the combination of a weighing-scale, a hopper having a downwardly-inclined dischargespout, a cut-oft valve at the discharge end of said spout, a lever connected to said valve, a pivoted detent for holding said lever in position to retain the valve in open position, electrical means whereby the lever is released from the detent to permit the valve to be closed when a predetermined weight has been fed to the scales, means for moving the said valve to its closed position, and a regulator in said discharge-spout.

2. In an automatic cut-ofi mechanism for weighing-scales the combination of a discharge-spout, a cut-off valve arranged in said spout, means for actuating said valve, and an apertured regulator slidably mounted in said spout.

3. In an automatic cut-ofi mechanism for weighing-scales the combination of a discharge-spout having a removable section, a cut-off valve arranged in said spout, means for actuating said valve, and an apertured regulator frictionally retained in said spout by said removable section.

4. In an automatic cut-off mechanism for weighing-scales the combination of a discharge-spout having a removable section, a cut-oil valve arranged in said spout, means for actuating said valve, and an apertured regulator slidably mounted between said spout and its removable section.

5. In an automatic cut-ofl mechanism for weighing-scales the combination of a discharge-spout having a removable section, a cut-off valve arranged in said spout, means for actuating said valve, an apertured regulator slidably mounted in said spout and frictionally retained therein by its removable section, and a finger-piece carried by said regulator and projecting between said spout and its removable section.

6. In an automatic cut-off mechanism for weighing-scales the combination of a discharge-Sp out, a removable section for said spout having one of its ends detachably engaged with the latter, a catch for holding the opposite end of said section upon said spout, and an apertured regulator slidably mounted in said spout.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN SUNDBY.

Witnesses HERMAN BEIER, W. M. PRINDLE. 

